He looked like a retired auto worker out for his evening walk. Silver hair, mustache, faded wranglers, tucked-in LL Bean button-down, and a ball cap. But, when Peter One wandered onto the Brown County Music Center stage last Tuesday, picked up his guitar, and started to sing, it was pure magic. Back by a band of Nashville whizkids half his age, Peter's soulful voice filled the room with honey and wonder. Tunes like "Shit Show" and "Romeo & Juliet" we spell-binding. A vocal talent like this only comes along every so often; Peter One is a cat you want to keep an eye on.
As good as the opener was when Jason Isbell came on with his 400 Unit, they displayed the best that Southern music has to offer nowadays. His band was some of the best hot-shit musicians in the land. Anchored by bassist Jimbo Hart and Drummer Chad Gamble, the band, which also features guitarist Sadler Vaden and keyboardist Derry de Borja was the engine that (barely) kept this train on the tracks.
Jimbo shined on tunes like "What've I Done To Help" and "Dreamsicle." At the same time, Gamble's drumming propelled the band ever higher and higher on the rambunctious cover of Fleetwood Man's "Oh Well" and "Super 8." Derry de Borja added an undeniable E-Street vibe to the proceedings. At the same time, Vaden teamed with Isbell to push the evening's guitar heroics into the sublime.
With this group of wildcats behind him, Isbell was enabled to go anywhere and do anything his heart desired. Tunes like "If We Were Vampires" and "Cover Me Up" soared to heart-breaking heights. While Isbell's cover of Drivin' n' Cryin's "Honeysuckle Blue" and his Drive-By Truckers' classic "Decoration Day" gave about as good as it gets. Central Indiana rarely gets to witness a world-class band firing on all cylinders, which is exactly what we got on this blustery Indiana evening. God Bless Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.
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